Research commissioned by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) shows that 39% of people who lost money to a scam in the past 12 months were victims of a money transfer or advance fee scam.
Such scams dupe people into handing over their bank details or paying an up-front fee by leading them to believe they’re entitled to an inheritance, donating to charity or even helping release funds from a corrupt country.
The research reveals the sheer scale of the problem involving mass-marketed scams in Britain which arrive by post, e-mail, text, phone or the Internet and aim to con people into parting with their cash.
The survey also finds that:
Scams: their impact can be devastating
Former That’s Life presenter Esther Rantzen, who herself has spent over 40 years exposing scammers and con-men, said: “Scams can have a devastating impact on people’s lives. The conmen often deliberately target older people or people who are especially vulnerable. Stigma or embarrassment can wrongly make victims think they are to blame, and discourage them from reporting these crimes or seeking help.”
Rantzen added: “No-one should feel like this. I want people to feel able to speak to their friends, family and neighbours so that we can put these con-artists out of business.”
Rantzen also wants to help raise awareness (by way of the OFT’s Scamnesty campaign) of the tricks and methods that scammers use on unsuspecting and often vulnerable people.
“I urge people to outwit the scammers and simply bin any scams they receive.”
Sophisticated and cunning tactics to defraud
Michele Shambrook, operations manager for the OFT-managed advice service Consumer Direct, added: “Scammers are using ever-more sophisticated and cunning tactics to dupe people out of their cash. We want people to recognise the warning signs, and feel confident enough to seek advice from friends and family or from Consumer Direct.”
Life assistance company CPP also warns people across the UK to be alert and avoid handing out their personal details unnecessarily.
Research conducted by CPP reveals that people in the UK are targeted with online scams every seven seconds, with the average victim losing GB pound 289.
The findings from CPP’s online fraud report also reveal that more than half of victims received false lottery or competition prize draw e-mails, while a further one-in-two had received bogus e-mails from abroad saying they were entitled to money (such as the renowned ‘Nigerian 419 advance fee fraud’ scam).
CPP’s study findings also reveal that:
Think before you act
Nicole Sanders, an identity fraud expert at CPP, commented: “Recent stories, such as that of Kate Roberts who fell victim to a scam after thinking she was talking to an American soldier and handing over GB pound 80,000, serve as timely reminders of just how innovative fraudsters can be in targeting their victims.”
Sanders believes recent figures issued by CIFAS and the UK Cards Association are “encouraging” but feels it’s clear that these sorts of scams are still going on.
“We urge all consumers to think very carefully if anyone asks them to part with their personal information,” urged Sanders. “Banks and other financial institutions will never proactively contact them and ask for this type of information, so it’s highly unlikely that any such request will be genuine.”
CPP: Top Tips to beat the fraudsters
Metropolitan Police Service re-launches anti-scam website
Officers from the Met’s Operation Sterling have launched their new scam awareness website in support of Scam Awareness Month.
The ‘new look’ and re-launched website, running under the banner ‘Fraud Alert’, is a one-stop shop designed to equip members of the public and businesses with the tools they need to protect themselves against fraud.
The website will be updated as soon as a new scam that’s targeting victims in the UK is discovered. For example, the latest scam to feature relates to fraudulent mail, which police often refer to as mass marketing fraud.
Sent by professional fraudsters, these letters are designed to con recipients into investing in bogus schemes such as fake lotteries, share frauds and inheritance scams. They usually target the elderly and vulnerable.
Operation Sterling is not only proactively trying to stop this mail being delivered, but also offering prevention advice and tips on the fraud alert website.
Fraud alert website: what does it do?
The website provides a check list for members of the public to identify whether they are being scammed or not, and also offers the prevention advice they need to stop themselves becoming victims of fraud.
Additionally, there’s information on the site which explains how victims of fraud can report such activity.
Offering support to those who need more information and those who could potentially become victims of fraud is important to the Metropolitan Police Service. Detective chief inspector Nick Downing, from the Economic and Specialist Crime Command, said: “We hope that members of the public will use fraud alert to access up-to-date information on the latest scams being used to con them out of their hard-earned cash.”
He added: “The new format should make it easier for those who don’t regularly use computers to navigate their way around the alerts and the prevention advice available. Supporting our partners in raising awareness about frauds like those detailed on the new site is a priority for the prevention work engaged with by Operation Sterling.”
The Met would urge anyone who thinks they may have been a victim of fraud to visit the new website. Links are provided on the right hand panel of this page
